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Monday, 1 June 2015

Retro Butterick - B5748

I've had this pattern for a while and have plans to use some lovely Liberty fabric to make the dress. However, after having a look at the measurements given for the pattern and the fact that I really didn't fit a particular one, I decided to make a practice one first. I managed to find some lovely bargain fabric (£1.95 per meter!) in Wolverhampton market on a Tuesday morning, which is wouldn't matter if things didn't fit. . .

I cut out a size 12 - as this bust measurement was the closest to mine. However, this must have been a straight reprint of the original pattern as I needed to add four inches to the waist so that it would fit. To add these four inches I made a slit up the pattern piece nearest the centre line and then made sure that this 'triangle' measured once inch at the base. By increasing the front and back pattern piece by one inch, would add up to the four inches I needed.

I then cut the full circle skirt out using the biggest size on my pattern - 14, but added a centimetre out to the waist and seam as I cut it, so that I would have a big enough waist to attach to the bodice. I decided only to line the bodice, as this was a practice to see how it would work, as the pattern wanted the skirt to be lined as well!

After making this altered bodice, I thought that the length looked a bit short, so I altered my pattern again, lengthening it by one inch along the 'shorten or lengthen here' lines. However, once I attached the bodice to the skirt, it gave it an appearance of a dropped waist - so I have reduced this lengthening by half an inch for the next practice dress. To hide the issue on this dress I have added a length of contrasting ribbon, that give the illusion of the waist being in the correct place.

Because I had added in extra material in the bodice pieces by slitting the pattern piece and creating a triangle, I didn't realise that my darts would be out of line. If you look carefully on the bodice, the darts at the front lean outwards. I have rectified this by drawing a parallel line to the centre seam from the dart point down to the waist and then re-drawn the dart, so hopefully next time they will be straight.

There are no pockets on this dress - which is something I may have to address in the next practice dress - I'm still not confident enough to cut into my Liberty fabric, so I will just have to go fabric shopping again soon . . .

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